Addressing the classroom shortage

The true value of education can be summarized in Nelson Mandela’s words, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” In today’s world where democracy and technology have given people the absolute power in nation building, the world needs well-educated masses. And it is always the government’s responsibility to provide its people the kind of education the world deserves.

In the Philippines, we take pride in basic education as a right and not a privilege as mandated by the Constitution. ‘Section 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. (1987 Phil. Const.Article XIV, Section 1), and that it is the State’s responsibility to establish, maintain, and support this kind of education. (1987 Phil. Const.Article XIV, Section 2).’ The undertaking of this mandate however is not without challenges. One persistent crisis in our educational system is the shortage in classrooms as evident in some major public schools in Metro Manila. The Department of Education (DepEd)’s latest records shows that for school year 2012-2013 the classroom to student ratio was 1:75 for elementary and 1:74 for high school. This is below the mandated student classroom ratio of 45:1 defined in Section 3 of Republic Act 7880 (Fair and Equitable Access to Education Act).